This One's For April (And October)

April made a request and I need some feedback, so SN readers get another poll. Excited, aren't you? Well, you should be. It has to do with my most favorite time of the year: Halloween.

For as long as I can remember, I've loved the whole process of getting ready for Halloween. Decorating the house, putting together a costume, passing out candy. And of course, getting older and turning the Halloween corner. To haunted houses.

Haunted forests, prisons, cornfields, mazes, hydros (for real) and houses. I've done them all, and for the most part, I've loved them all. Every year, September finds me keeping my eyes and ears open for the latest, greatest haunts. This year was no different, and I was pumped to find a haunted house open this past Friday. I stood in line and took in the sights:

A dimly lit waiting area.

Scary and realistic creatures/monsters.

Fog.

Screams from inside the haunt.

And. . .

Teenagers. Lots and lots of teenagers. As I looked around at all of them I thought: "Impossible. I'm not this old." But to them, I might as well have been the creepy old lady taking the tickets. Except, of course, that the creepy old lady taking the tickets was actually a teenager in costume. Scary.

What does it all mean? Am I too old for haunted houses? Do I just not know when to retire? Am I the Brett Farve of Halloween?

My options are this: continue going and ignore the teenagers (and the stares), wait until I have a kid old enough to go but young enough to let me tag along or volunteer to work at a haunted house as the creepy old lady taking tickets. No costume required.

I'm interested to see what you think. Take my poll to the right and be honest. . .because. . .the shadow knows. . .

P.S. The poll is open until October 31, 2009 and I've allowed for multiple answers. Mostly because of option #4.

Don't You Just Hate It...

...when the wrong number calls your phone at 6 in the morning? Don't you also hate it when, as a result, you iron and lint-brush a pair of pants before realizing they're inside out?

Extra hour and half of sleep, I missed you too.

May Your Song Always Be Sung

Don't hate on me, but I've never been a huge Bob Dylan fan. So I was surprised when I found out that the lyrics from a Pepsi commercial featuring Will.I.Am come from an old Dylan song. Check out the longer version here (oh, and keep an eye out for the guy in the blue speedo. He's quite the dancer and certainly the star of the show. It's totally a viewing bonus.):



I love it when stuff like this happens because now I'll definitely do some Dylan research and see what else I've been missing. As for the lyrics below, I'm knocked out by the beauty of their simplicity. Makes me think of my four sweet nephews:

May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous,
May you grow up to be true,
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you.
May you always be courageous,
Stand upright and be strong,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy,
May your feet always be swift,
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift.
May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung,
May you stay forever young,
Forever young, forever young,
May you stay forever young.